CollegeVine Expert FAQ

Hi everyone, I'm a junior and I'm starting to think about college. My family doesn't have a lot of money, so I'm worried about how we're going to pay for it. How did you all decide on a college that w …

Hello, I'm a junior and I'm trying to decide if I should apply to colleges outside of my home state. What are the pros and cons of attending an out-of-state college and how does it impact the college …

Hello! I've had some personal and family issues during high school that have affected my grades and extracurricular involvement. How do I explain these extenuating circumstances on my college applicat …

Hello! I'm a junior, and I'm starting to make my college list. I've heard that it's important to have a mix of safety, target, and reach schools, but I'm not sure how to determine which colleges fall …

Hi there! I'm a junior and feeling a bit overwhelmed with the number of colleges out there. How do you guys recommend narrowing down the list of colleges to apply to? Thanks for any advice!

Hey guys, I'm feeling a bit stressed about the whole college application process. I have a few top-choice schools in mind, and I was wondering if it's possible to apply to more than one school through …

Hi there! I'm considering taking a gap year before college, but I'm not sure if it's a good idea. What are the pros and cons of taking a gap year? How do colleges view students who take a gap year? Th …

Hello! I'm a high school junior and I have a pretty good idea of what I want to major in when I go to college. I want to make sure I choose a college that has a strong program in my chosen field. How …

Hi everyone! I'm currently a junior, and I'm considering applying Early Decision to my top choice college. I've heard that applying ED can increase your chances of getting in, but I'm also a little ne …

Hello, I'm a junior and I'm starting to research colleges. Unfortunately, due to various reasons, I won't be able to visit most of them in person. What are some alternative ways I can learn about a co …

Hey guys! I'm a high school junior, and I've been researching college financial aid policies. I came across need-blind and need-aware colleges, and I'm not sure which one would be better for me. Can a …

Hi everyone, I'm trying to decide between taking AP courses or doing dual enrollment next year. Do colleges have a preference for either of these options? Thanks for your input!

Hey everyone! I've been invited to a few college open houses, and I'm wondering if they're worth attending. What are the benefits of going to an open house? Will it help my chances of getting accepted …

Hey everyone, I'm a junior, and I'm starting to think about the financial aspects of college. When the time comes, what factors should I consider when comparing financial aid packages from different s …

Hey guys, I've been stressing out about scheduling for next year. I'm not sure whether I should take more AP courses to show rigor or focus on maintaining a higher GPA with less challenging classes. I …

Hey, I'm a bit worried about my GPA and how it will look to colleges. What factors do colleges take into consideration when evaluating an applicant's GPA? Do they look at the difficulty of the courses …

Hi everyone! I'm a junior and I'm struggling to balance my school work, extracurricular activities, and social life. I want to make sure I have a strong college application, but I also don't want to b …

Hi everyone, I'm a high school junior and I recently took the ACT. I did okay, but I'm not sure if my score is competitive enough for the colleges I'm interested in. Is it worth retaking the ACT to tr …

Hello! I'm a high school junior and I'm trying to decide whether I want to apply to private or public colleges. Can someone please explain the main differences between the two? Thanks for your help!

Hello everyone! I know that college rejections are a part of the process, but I'm worried about how I'll handle them. What are some ways to cope with rejection and stay positive during the application …